MSU opens drive-thru vaccine clinic — for everyone

State epidemic order extends mask mandate to children

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The Ingham County Health Department is scheduling COVID-19 vaccination appointments for all Michigan residents at an ongoing drive-thru clinic at Michigan State University Pavilion.

Health officials hope the expansion — enabled through more staff support through the Federal Emergency Management Agency — will allow for up to 4,000 vaccinations there every day. 

“People move across county lines,” Health Officer Linda Vail said Tuesday. “Ensuring that everyone in the state who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine benefits us all. We are seeing the number of new cases soar across the state, and there is a sense of urgency with getting people vaccinated.”

Previously, the clinic was only vaccinating people who live or work in Ingham County. To date, more than 68,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered at the MSU Pavilion. 

Visit hd.ingham.org/coronavirus/r_1013.aspx to schedule an appointment online. 

“We’re still in the midst of another surge, but that looks like it might plateau,” Vail said, noting that rising caseloads over the last few weeks have tapered down over the last 10 days. 

Of those infected in the last 30 days, most are between the ages of 21-29, county data shows. Hospital capacity at McLaren and Sparrow are also reaching capacity, though Vail expects to see the number of patients decrease over the next week as more shots are put in arms. 

“I’m hopeful we’re getting through our last major surge in this pandemic because of the level in which we’re vaccinating. It feels a little bit like the light at the end of the tunnel,” Vail added. 

Across Michigan, more than 6 million vaccines have been administered to date. The latest million shots were also distributed in 11 days — a new state record, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced. 

“I will not stop until we reach our goal of equitably vaccinating 70% of Michiganders ages 16 and up,” Whitmer said. “Our rollout continues picking up steam. We’ve administered 6 million doses in just over four months, and we went from 5 to 6 million in only 11 days.”

To date, 45% of Michiganders have received at least one dose, with 30% fully vaccinated. The state has also repeatedly hit its dose goal of at least 100,000 shots in arms every day. 

“The appointments are there,” Vail said. “It’s as easy as clicking a link and scheduling it.”

In related news…

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services moved to extend its epidemic mandate on gatherings and face masks, ordering children ages 2 to 4 to also wear face masks while in gatherings at childcare facilities or camps. The order takes effect on Monday (April 26).  

The shifting mandate follows recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is designed to address increases in cases among younger residents over the last few weeks. The statewide order also continues to limit all indoor residential social gatherings to 15 people from no more than three separate households. 

State officials also warned that the continued presence of more infectious COVID-19 variants — like the B.1.1.7 variant — could threaten progress in controlling the pandemic in Michigan. 

State data shows overall positivity rates have increased for eight weeks but charted a recent five-day decline to 17.1% — up 390% from mid-February and about 14.4% from December. Overall case rates per population are also up more than 475% from mid-February but they remain below the statewide peak of 737.8 cases per million residents tracked in November. 

State officials are also working to expand availability of monoclonal antibodies, a medical intervention designed to significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths tied to COVID-19. Those laboratory-produced molecules can restore, enhance or mimic the immune system’s attack on cells, targeting different parts of the virus to prevent it from bonding with the body.

Clinical trials suggest the therapy works best among patients who are at high risk of progressing to severe symptoms or hospitalization. To date, more than 6,600 Michigan residents have received this treatment, with 65% reporting feeling better within two days of treatment.

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